Winding device for cameras



June 17, 1941. E. ELISON 2,246,034

WINDING DEVICE FOR CAMERAS Filed July 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY 62/ fl/so/v June 17, 1941. E. ELISON 2,246,034

WINBING DEVICE FOR CAMERAS Filed July 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E L f1 /50/v 5 AT RNEY Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2,246,034 WINDING DEVICE FOR CAMERAS Eli Elison, Jackson Heights, N. Y., assignor to Universal Camera 'Oorporation, New York, N.Y.,acorporationofDelaware Application July 4, 1939, Serial No. 282,76$

12 Claims. (01. 242-71) This invention relates generailyito cameras. B e to advance t e fi m. a measured More particularly, my invention relates toa camamount, 80 that it will be in readiness for t era construction having an improved mechataking'of a subsequent Pi u e The n H nism for rapidly winding up a camera for a, gubis fixed to a shaft ii for rotation therewith, the sequent picture. said shaft I! being suitably journalled in a bear- One' of the objects of my invention is to proin: within the camera and p oiectins through vide, in a camera of the character described, an 811 p n in t e-f o Camera casins W l. improved rapid winding mechanism whereby the The following means are empl y i r w din camera may be wound up for the taking of a the him-F on the take-up spool 42 after pass n subsequent picture by a single rapid stroke of the exposure aperture, such means being fully a finger or hand, and without moving the disclosed and described in the saidPatent No; ore. from its aligned position. 2,233,390. T

Another object of my invention is to provide ohn n the camerafl i Shaft 49 an improved rapid winding mechanism of the (see Fig. 8) to which there is fixed at one end character described adapted to be attached to a thereof a bevel gear ill, and at the other end camera having a manually operated winding thereof a pinion ii. "The gears 50 and ii are knob, such a camera for example as the type mounted for integral rotation with the shaft 49. disclosed in Patent No. 2,233,390 of Feb. 25, 1941. Fixed to a rotatably mounted collar 52 for rota- Other objects of this invention will in part be tion therewith is a gear 51 adapted to mesh with obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. 2 the pinion 5i. Mounted in the wall of the cam- The invention accordingly consists in the feaera casing is a stationary shaft 54 on which is tures of construction, combinations of elements, rotatabiy mounted a gearii provided with a and arrangement of parts which will be exemplihub. On the last named hub is fixed a second fledin the construction hereinafter described, and sear Ii for rotation with said gear 55. The said of which the scope of application will be indigear 55 is positioned so as to be in proper meshcated in the claims. ins position with a gear 51 mounted directly on In the accompanying drawings, in which is the removable take-up spool 42. It is thus seen shown one of the various possible embodiments. from the above description that when the shaft of this invention, 40 is rotated, the spool 42 will be caused to ro- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a portion tate through the chain of gearing. 51 through of a camera with the improved rapid winding 51. A sprocket 59 fixed to the collar 52 coopmecbanism of my invention mounted thereon; elites with the P I-S in t f f r li Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; vancing the same Fig. 3 is an end elevational view thereof In order to n i n y r a e the shaft 4! Fig, 41 view i il to Fig, 1, g mn from the outside of the camera, there is protions broken away to reveal the construction vided the shaft 3 disposed at right angles 'to ther n the shaft 48 and iournaled in the camera. A.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substanportion of the shaft it which projects ireeLv v tially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; 40 through the wall of the camera casing is pro- Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. 4, but vided wi h e Windinz knob l'l. Mounted on illustrating steps in the operation thereof; and that P r ion 1 the Shift p sed Wi hin the Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken subcamera is a combination sear member 63 havstantiaily on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2. ins evel teeth "a designed to mesh with the While, as hereinbefore explained, the rapid bevel 8 8-! winding mechanism of my invention is adapted The rapid winding device of my invention comfor'use with any type of camera having a man- F 81m 1' t er 5 hav nZ & handle ually operated knob for the winding of the 111m, portion Ila at one end thereof and an oflset there is disclosed in the drawings a camera ll outwardly flared fan-like portion lib at the opwhich is of the so-called candid camera type m t e d t e eo T p e y of the porand which is provided with a rotatably mounted ticn llb is provid w 8 8-1 teeth I. The m m k 11 carrying counting um I: nd lever II is rotatably mounted on a hollow proadapted by means of. suitable gearing disposed jecting stud II, the said stud being a part of a within the camera, when the said knob is rowall I! of sninverted L-shaped mountins bracktated, to wind a shutter spring 4| and at the et. The wall I! of the mounting bracket is d signed to overlie a portion of the front casing wall of the camera and the integrally joined bracket wall I! is'adapted to overlie a portion of the top casing wall. The bracket may be secured to the camera by a single thumb screw 2| passing through an aperture 2| in the bracket wall I! and threadedly received in any suitable threaded opening in the top casing well, such as for example the internally threaded cable release bushing 22.

The lever is provided with a curved slot of specific shape and design as shown, so that the center of curvature. thereof is located at 26. The projecting stud I1 is freely received in the slot 2, thus allowing the center-of rotation of the lever I! to shift with respect to the gear teeth It. Arivet 21 and washer 28 serve to confine .the lever II to the bearing surface on the stud II. I 1

Mounted on the winding knob shaft l3 for rotation therewith is a pinion adapted to mesh with the gear teeth Ii of the lever i5.

The designing of the slot 25 to be kidney shaped and so that the center ofcurvature thereof is at 2! enables thelever teeth It to engage with the teeth of the pinion whenever the stud i1 is in the upper end of the slot 25, as in Fig. 6 of the drawings. or substantially at the center of the said slot 25, as in Fig. 4. Also, by the specific design of the slot 25 it is seen that if the lever It were shifted so as to dispose the studl'lin the lower end of the slot 25 (opposite to the position shown in Fig. 6), the teeth It disengage from the pinion 30. i

In Fig. 1 and 4 of the drawings, the lever 15 of the rapid winding device is shown in normal position, and is maintained in such position by an extendedspring'fl having one end thereof fixed to a hooked portion 32 of the bracket arm i8 and'the other end thereof fixed to a stud pin 33 fixed to the lever portion I511. The spring 3| is disposed inthe space between the ofises 7 portion lib and the bracket arm is (see Fig. 5).

To efl'ectively actuate the winding knob II to rotate through an angle approximating a complete turn, the operator of the camera merely pushes downwardly on the handle I 5a of the lever llwith one finger, without the-necessity of altering his grip on the camera. This movemerit shifts the lever ii to a position where the stud II is in the upper end of the slot 25, as in Fig. 8, and brings those teeth l6 adjacent one end of the gear teeth it into meshing engagement with the pinion. 30. Continued downward prossure exerted on the handle [5a causes'rotational movement ofthe lever I 5 about the stud i1 until the said lever has been moved to the position shown in Fig. '7, in which position the pinion 3| has been rotated approximately a complete t-m'n. As noted in Fig. 4, a stud fixed to the lever portion lib and adapted to abut an extending portion Ila of the bracket arm It; serves to limit the amount of rotational movement of the lever I. in a counterclockwise direction. v

As clearly shown in Fig. '7, the bracket arm II is provided with a cammed edge l8b, upon lever l-S will be shifted laterally to the left, as viewed in Fig. '7, so that the teeth l8 will be drawn away from and will clear the teeth of the pinion )0 during such return movement, up to the pointwhere the gear teeth It arrive adjacent the said pinion teeth. At such point, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the teethit' will be partially in mesh with the pinion "'30, due to the design of the slot 25 and to the fact that the stud pin 35 strikes the cammed edge Nb of the bracket arm l8, to. shift the lever Ii with respect to the stud I], so that the teeth I6 will partially engage the teeth of the pinion 3!. partial meshing of the teeth Ii with the pinion 3| serves .to furnish a positive starting action for the next winding of the knob shaft ii. The

. said teeth l6 will be in mesh with the pinionwhich the spring 3| tends to rest while in stretched condition, as shown; Upon release of pressure on the handle portion ISa, the lever l5 will be caused to rotate in a clockwise direction back to its original position, due to the action of the-spring 3|. Due also to the action of the spring 3i and to the design of the slot 25, the

amount of mesh between the teeth l6 and the teeth of the pinion 30 in this latter position is such that manual rotational movement of the knob ii .will not cause corresponding rotational movement of the lever l5, so that-the knob II therefore, the gear 30 .will not rotate in any but a counterclockwise direction with respect to the showing in Figs. 1 and 4. v

It is seen from the above described construction that the effective operation of my improved rapid winding mechanism is dependent in certain respects uponthe construction and arrangement of the slot 2-5. c

The slot 25 must be so positioned with respect to the teeth [6 that when the stud I1 is positioned in the upper end thereof, as in Fig. 6, the

30, and when the stud I1 is positioned in the opposite end of the slot 25 the teeth l6 will be out of mesh with the pinion. It is also noted that the slot 25 is so designed that during the entire time that pressure is applied on the handie portion 15a the. stud II will be retained in the same end of the slot, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to maintain constant mesh of .the teeth IS with the pinion 30 during the counterclockwise rotational movement of the lever i5.

It will thus be seen that there is provided. a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set'f-orth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. For use with a camera having a winding shaftfor winding a fllm and a gear member fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith, a

rapid winding device comprising a manually op-- erable lever provided with arcuately disposed gear teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member, said lever having a slot, and means for rotatably mounting said lever on saidcamera,

said last named means comprising a stationary bracket member having a fixed projection therebe shifted transverselyrelative to said projection This tounmesh saidleverfrom said gear member.

zl 'orusewithacamerahavingawinding shaft for a film and a gear memberfixed to said winding shaft for rotation, therewith. a rapid winding device comprising a lever. sa'idlever having a gear toothed portionjadapted to-mesh with the teeth of' said gear member, said lever having an integral handle portion for manual operation thereof, and means for rotatably mount-- ing said lever on said camera, said last named means including means for permitting said lever gear teeth to move away from and out of mesh with said gear member.

3. For use with a camera having a winding shaft for winding a film and a gear member fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith. a rapid winding device comprising a lever, said lever having a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member, and a handle .portion for manually actuating said lever, a slot in said lever disposed between said handle and said gear toothed portion, and means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, said last named means comprising a bracket a handle portion for manually actuating said lever, a slot in said lever disposed between said handle and said gear toothed portion, means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, said last named means comprising a bracket member having a projecting portion received in said lever slot, said slot being so constructed and arranged as to permit the rotational and shifting movement of said lever with respect to said projecting portion, and means for mounting said bracket member on said camera.

5. For use with a camera having a winding shaft for winding a film and a gear member fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith, a rapid winding device comprising a lever, said lever having a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member, and a handle portion for manually actuating said lever, a slot in said lever disposed between said handle and saidgear toothed portion, means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, said last named means comprising a bracket member having a projecting portion received in said lever slot, said slot being so constructed and arranged as to permit the shifting of said lever with respect to said projecting portion, and spring means for normally maintaining said projecting portion spaced from one end of said slot.

8. For use with a camera having a winding shaft for winding a film and a gear member fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith, 'a rapid winding device comprising a lever, said lever having a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member. and a handle portion for manually actuating said lever, a slot in said lever disposed between said handle and said g'ear toothed portion, means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera. said last named means comprising a bracket member having a projecting portion received in projecting portion spaced from of said slot,'said lever slot being so constructedand'arranged with respect to said projecting portion whereby a force applied to said handle portion will cause the toothed portion of said lever to shift in a direction toward said gear member and to then rotate said lever about said projecting portion in one direction against the action of said spring whiiemaintainim said gear member andsaidtoothedportioninmeshtoeffectively windsaid film.

7.1"orusewithacamera havingawinding shaftforwindingafilmandagearmember fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith, a rapid winding deviceoomprising a lever having a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member, and a handle portion, a slot in said lever, means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, said last named means comprising a'bracket member having a projecting portion received in said lever slot, spring means for normally maintaining said projecting portion spaced from one end of said slot, said lever slot being so constructed and arranged with respect to-said projecting portion whereby a force applied to said handle portion will cause the toothed portion of said lever to shift into meshing relationship with said gear member and to be rotated about said projecting portion in one direction against the action of said spring to effectively wind said film. said spring means being adapted, upon release of the force applied to said handle portion, to restore the said lever to its original normal position.

8. For use with a camera having a winding shaft for winding a film and a gear member fixed to said winding snarl; for rotation there-.

with, a rapid winding device comprising a lever having a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member, and a handle portion, a slot in said lever, means for retatably mounting said lever on said camera. said last named means comprising a bracket member having a projecting portion received in said lever slot, spring means for normally maintaining said projecting portion spaced from one end of said slot, said lever slot being so constructed and arranged with respect to said projecting portion whereby a force applied to said handle portion will cause the toothed Portion of said lever to shift into meshing vengagement with said gear member and to rotate said lever about said projecting portion inion'e'direction against the ac-' tion of said spring, to effectively wind said film. said spring means being adapted. upon release of the force applied to said handle portion, to-

restore the said lever to its original normal position, and means for causing said lever to be so shifted that the toothed portion thereof will be out of mesh with said gear member upon such restoring movement of said lever.

9. For use with a camera having a winding shaft for winding a film and a gear member fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith, a rapid winding device comprising a lever, having a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member and a handle por tion. a slot in said lever, means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, said last named means comprising a bracket member having a projecting-portion received in said lever slot, spring means for normally maintaining said projecting portion spaced from one end of said slot, said lever slot being so constructed and artoothed portion thereof will be out of mesh withthe teeth of said gear member'upon such restoring movement of said lever, with the exception of several starting teeth of said toothed lever portion which will then be partially in mesh with said gear member so as to be in readiness for the next winding action.

10. For use with a camera having a winding shaft for winding a film and a gear member fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith, a rapid winding device comprising a lever, having a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member and a handle portion, a slot in said lever, means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, said last named means comprising a bracket member having a projecting portion received in said lever slot, spring means for normally maintaining said projecting portion spaced from one end of said slot, said lever slot being so constructed and arranged with respect to said projecting portion whereby a force applied to said handle portion will cause the toothed portion of said lever to shift into meshing engagement with said gear member and to then rotate said lever about said projecting portion in one direction against the action of said spring to effectively wind said film, said spring means being adapted, upon of said toothed lever portion which will then be partially in mesh with said gear member so as to be in readiness for the next winding action, said last named means comprising a pin fixed to said lever and adapted to contactively engage a cammed edge of said bracket member.

11. A rapid film winding device for a camera,

comprising a winding shaft, a gear fixed to said. winding shaft for rotation therewith, a lever, said lever comprising a gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear, a

handle'portion and a kidney-shaped slot, and means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, said last named means comprising a bracket member having-a projecting portion re-.

ceived in said lever slot, said slot being so constructed and arranged as to permit the rotational and shifting movement of said lever with respect to said projecting portion.

12. For use with a camera having a winding shaft for winding a film and a gear member fixed to said winding shaft for rotation therewith, a rapid winding device comprising a lever,

said lever having an arcuate gear toothed portion adapted to mesh with the teeth of said gear member, a handle portion for manually actuating said lever, means for rotatably mounting said lever on said camera, and means for shifting said lever with respect to said camera in the plane. of said toothed portion, whereby the toothed portion of said lever may be unmeshed from the teeth of said gear member.

ELI ELISON. 

